For 54 years, the Boston Shootout has been a fixture in the New England basketball scene

When the Boston Shootout was founded in 1972, its goal was to showcase the area’s premier basketball talent on the national stage.

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In its early years, the tournament featured all-star teams from four cities competing in a single-elimination bracket. It quickly grew into one of the nation’s premier grassroots basketball competitions, drawing future NBA stars such as Kobe Bryant, Chris Mullin, Patrick Ewing, Grant Hill, and Marcus Camby.

More than a half century after its inception, the event remains a fixture in the New England basketball scene each spring.

The 54th annual Boston Shootout is taking place this weekend at Catholic Memorial in West Roxbury, welcoming three prominent Northeast-based travel programs for two days of competition.

In the event’s opening game Saturday, the Boston Amateur Basketball Club’s 16-under squad rolled to a 115-64 victory over the 18-under Connecticut HoopWave.

“It’s fun to play at home and have a good crowd, play a good team and just show who we are,” said BABC forward Malachi Odugbela, a 6-foot-5-inch sophomore guard at St. Andrew’s (R.I.) who led BABC with 24 points. “We know it’s a very big event for us, and we try not to lose when we’re playing in it.”

The Roxbury Boys & Girls Club sponsored the Shootout until 1999, but financial challenges led the organization to cease overseeing the event.

BABC founder and director Leo Papile — then also a senior member of the Celtics front office — stepped in to preserve the Shootout, and the BABC has run it each year since.

As the youth basketball landscape has evolved, the Shootout has transitioned from a national all-star event with graduating seniors to a regional event with younger players competing for their travel teams. Still, many of New England’s top talents take part.

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“In those days, it was critical for the graduating seniors to play in the springs,” said Papile, now in his 49th season leading BABC. “It’s different now, but we [take pride] in keeping it going.”

On Papile’s mind during this year’s Shootout is Roscoe Baker, a local basketball legend who passed away May 17 at age 88. Baker was among the many community leaders who had a role in founding the event.

“We do this for guys like Roscoe, and all the people that started it,” said Papile. “I was there [at the inaugural event], and a lot of my best friends that I played with growing up in Boston were on the ‘72 team. So we do it to honor the history and their memory.”

In the nearly five decades since Papile founded the BABC, it has become one of the country’s top grassroots programs, producing 25 NBA players.

BABC has teams at the 15-under, 16-under, and 17-under levels, with the bulk of its season taking place in April and May against a national schedule.

The 16-under group improved to 23-4 with Saturday’s win over the older HoopWave squad in a dominant showing. Key contributors included Tilton (N.H.) sophomore guard Jordan Maxson (23 points), Darrow School (N.Y.) sophomore guard Braylon Washington (21), and Tilton sophomore center Salim Diaby (19).

“We’re really optimistic about the next 13 months with these guys. It’s a great group,” said Papile. “They’re fun to coach and they’re fun to watch.”

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